A seventh celebrity has been eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing and will miss out on next week’s Blackpool special.
This week’s show brought us more tearful moments than usual, with JB Gill taking to the dance floor without Amy Dowden as she’s been forced to withdraw, Chris McCausland making history with an emotional performance, and Pete Wicks breaking down into tears with a dance in tribute to his nan.
The end of the night saw JB in the top spot with 37 points, as were Love Island’s Tasha Ghouri aand partner Alijaz Skorjanec, while Pete tied with Montell Douglas and partner Johannes Radebe in second place, with 36 points.
At the bottom of the board stood EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick, who won the Christmas special last year, and singer Shayne Ward.
On Sunday’s results programme, former X Factor winner Shayne and his dance partner Nancy Xu were sent home after a dance-off against opera singer Wynne Evans and his professional dance partner Katya Jones.
Shayne and Nancy had performed their rumba to Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper while Wynne and Katya danced the American smooth to Grace Kelly by Mika.
Judges Craig Revel Horwood and Motsi Mabuse wanted to save Shayne and Nancy, while Anton Du Beke voted to keep Wynne and Katya in the show.
The Go Compare singer made headlines earlier this season after his awkward ‘silly joke’with Katya, where he apologised for drama over his ‘wandering hands’ as fans claimed to spot tension between the two.
Head judge Shirley Ballas had the final say during the results show and eliminated Shayne and Nancy from the competition.
Reflecting on the experience, the 40-year-old said: ‘I just want to say, you guys up there (the other contestants) are a dream.
‘Every single day, coming in here and seeing you guys, you helped me so much.
‘I want to say thank you to the audience as well, for always being amazing for us all. This has been, honestly, one of the best things I’ve ever done.
‘I’m proud that I made it to eight weeks as a novice dancer.
‘A massive thank you goes to this incredible human right next to me, who has put so much fire in me and made me believe that I can actually achieve more if I let myself go.
‘I’m sorry it didn’t work out to the end, but I’m super proud that I got to meet you and dance with you, so thank you.’
Nancy added: ‘I’m beyond proud of this dance partnership. Shayne from week one until this point, every second you put your feet on the dancefloor you improved yourself.
‘You’re a deep thinker, you always doubt yourself, you never believed yourself, but I never, ever questioned you.
‘When I watch you, I feel proud because I’ve turned someone who has never, ever danced in their life into an amazing dancer.
‘You should believe in yourself. I adored this partnership.’
Strictly on Saturday was full of tears after Chris’ momentous blackout dance, with his and partner Dianne Buswell’s couple’s choice routine to Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) by John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
There wasn’t a dry eye in the house as Chris, 47, bravely opened up in his VT, reflecting on his childhood and telling viewers how he came to lose his sight.
‘I came into this thinking, “This could be a bit of a disaster,” but here we are,’ he said of his Strictly journey, revealing he’d previously turned the opportunity down because he was ‘scared’.
As they took to the dancefloor, they made history on Strictly with a poignant blackout moment, which mimicked Chris’s own experience as a blind person.
At the end of the dance, Chris placed his hands over Dianne’s eyes as the room faded to black, the lights coming up moments later to show the comic spinning around with her on his shoulders, pyrotechnics flaring in the background.
Craig branded it ‘spectacular’ while Shirley told them: ‘You don’t miss a beat. You have no fear. You come out every week with your heart on your sleeve, and you give us 100%.’
Elsewhere, after Saturday’s programme, dancer Amy also shared how ‘gutted’ she was to have missed out and watch from home, after it was announced last week that she’d be unable to compete due to a foot injury.
The Welsh pro, 34, who had to miss last year’s season after being diagnosed with breast cancer and undergoing a mastectomy and chemotherapy, sent a message of support to her dance partner, saying: ‘So proud! Told you from day one samba was going to be incredible and it was! Well done! Proud!’
‘I know what you got coming and those 10s are going to be coming! Well done!’, she added.
‘Gutted I can’t be there dancing with you but you and loz were fabulous! 💖💛⭐️💝🌟’
The results programme also included a song by Ball & Boe, comprised of Michael Ball and Alfie Boe, and a performance in honour of Remembrance Sunday by the professional dancers to The Blower’s Daughter by Damien Rice.
The remaining eight couples will take to the dance floor next Saturday for a special evening at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom.
Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday at 6.45pm on BBC One and iPlayer, with the results show airing on Sunday at 7.20pm.
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